Rawalpindi:
Households in Pakistan continue to struggle with an amazing increase of 30 to 40% of the prices of essential products. Despite government interventions, inflation had a relentless impact on all aspects of daily life, leaving citizens in shock.
Efforts to stabilize prices have failed, manufacturers adopting subtle tactics such as quantity reduction in packaged products without reducing costs.
For example, a 1 kilogram tea package now weighs 900 grams, while bags of flour and other food products have also shrunk. However, prices do not remain assigned, if not higher, exposing consumers to continuous compression.
A snapshot of the climbing of last year’s prices reveals the disaster reality.
Rice, who sold for RS280 per kilogram in January 2024, now costs RS380. Ghee went from RS450 to RS550, while the cooking oil has gone from RS500 to RS560.
Impulses like black lenses have seen a dazzling rise from RS350 to Rs560 per kilogram.
Likewise, milk prices went from RS200 to RS220 per liter, and spices have now cost 500 rupees per kilogram, against RS350 at the start of the year.
Other items have followed the same trend. Ginger, garlic, bakery products and even roti and NAANs have seen price increases that disproportionate consumers disproportionately.
A cup of tea, which was RS50 last December, now costs RS80, while Naan prices went from RS25 to Rs30.
Tandoor operators (oven) cite increased flour costs and grant cuts for the size of the size of red flour bread, forcing workers to double their purchase just to meet their basic food needs.
The situation was exacerbated by spiral fuel costs, petrol and diesel prices with a direct impact on transportation and supply chain expenditure.
The president of the Central Grocery Merchants Association Saleem Pervaiz Butt allocated inflation to a combination of the increase in fuel prices, the taxation of the government and a weakening of the rupee.
He warned that the trend shows no signs of slowdown.
Efforts such as the “Sasta Sahut Bazaars” of the Punjab government “also failed to relieve, with 16 markets and 24 bazaars of subsidized trolleys due to poor management and the costs of the flambé.
Even the official price lists published by the District Market Committee (DPC) have become unreliable, the market rates often exceeding them from RS40 to RS100.
Without immediate solutions in view, the incessant increase in life costs a dark table for the coming year, especially for low -income groups that bring the weight of the crushing weight of inflation.
The crisis extends beyond food. Crying prices have increased spectacularly, buffaloes now cost 0.8 million rupees to 1 million rupees – a strong increase compared to Rs 0.5 million Rs to 0.6 million rupees of the year last.
This increase is awarded to an increase of 300% of fodder costs, according to Charthry Khurram, vice-president of the cattle union.
Shafiq Qureshi, President of the Nanbai Association, stressed that flour prices continue to climb monthly, predicting even higher rates in 2025. The cost of a 50 -kilograms with a bag of flour has already gone from RS6.900 9,000 rupees only this year.
